WASHINGTON—The White House moved to protect its deal with Beijing to rescue ZTE Corp, taking steps to head off a bipartisan effort to use a must-pass defense bill to reinstate a ban on sales of U.S. components to the Chinese telecommunication company.

A senior White House official said Wednesday that the administration would try to remove Senate language that severed a lifeline President Donald Trump’s administration had extended to the company. The Senate is expected to pass the bill as soon as this week, and the White House...

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President Trump’s mixed messages about a plan to help controversial Chinese telecom giant ZTE has baffled Washington. WSJ's Shelby Holliday breaks down three reasons why lawmakers see the company as a threat. Illustration: Adam Falk